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This information is provided for guidance only. Pilots must assume responsibility for ensuring they understand messages passed to them, and that they make their own messages clear and understandable.

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SAMPLE RADIO CALLS

Many uncontrolled fields with no ATC services available use the French 'club' frequency on 123.50 MHz to make blind calls to other traffic.

The following are examples of calls you should make. These use the example of a PA-28, F-GDCE, arriving at Bagnoles from Cherbourg.

Note that, like the Unicom procedures in the US, it is common to call on base, as well as downwind and finals.

Also, it is common practice in France to end each call with a repetition of the airfield name. This is because the club frequency may be in use by several small airfields in the vicinity. In the Bagnoles circuit, for example, it is common to hear aircraft making calls for Flers.

Airfields with AFIS or Tower facilities use slightly different calls.
ENGLISHFRENCH

ARRIVAL / JOIN
Bagnoles, F-GDCE... Bagnoles de F-GDCE, bonjour...
...PA-28 from Cherbourg... ...PA-28 en provenance de Cherbourg...
...inbound to you... ...à destination de vos installations...
...currently level at 1500ft QNH... ...actuellement stable à mille cinq cent pieds QNH...
...estimating overhead at 53. ...terrain estimé à 53, Bagnoles.
or  
Bagnoles, F-CE... Bagnoles de F-CE...
...rejoining... ...retour d'un local...
...north of the field at 1500 feet QFE... ...nord à 1500 pieds QFE...
...estimating overhead at 53. ...terrain estimé à 53, Bagnoles.
IN THE CIRCUIT
DOWNWIND
Bagnoles, F-CE...
...(left) downwind...
...for runway 30.		 Bagnoles de F-CE...
...vent arrière (gauche)...
...pour la trente, Bagnoles.

BASE
Bagnoles, F-CE...
...base leg, runway 30.		 Bagnoles de F-CE...
...base pour la trente, Bagnoles.

FINALS
Bagnoles, F-CE...
...finals, runway 30...
...full stop... (or)...
...touch & go.		 Bagnoles de F-CE...
...finale la trente...
...j'atteris, Bagnoles... (ou)...
...je touche, Bagnoles.

AFTER LANDING
Bagnoles, F-CE...
...runway clear.		 Bagnoles de F-CE...
...piste dégagée.
Bagnoles, F-CE...
...on ramp...
...leaving the frequency.		 Bagnoles de F-CE...
...au parking...
...je quitte la fréquence, au revoir.

TAXI
Bagnoles, F-GDCE...
...on ramp...
...taxi for holding point...
...runway 30.		 Bagnoles de F-GDCE...
...au parking...
...roule au point d'arrêt...
...piste trente, Bagnoles.

DEPARTURE
Bagnoles, F-CE...
...at holding point...
...backtracking and...
...and lining up...
...runway 30.		 Bagnoles de F-CE...
...au point d'arrêt...
...je remonte et...
...je m'aligne...
...piste trente, Bagnoles.
Bagnoles, F-CE...
...departing...
...runway 30.		 Bagnoles, F-CE...
...je décolle...
...piste trente, Bagnoles.

LEAVING THE CIRCUIT
Bagnoles, F-CE... Bagnoles de F-CE...
...leaving the circuit to the north... ...en sortie de circuit dans le nord...
...leaving the frequency, good day. ...je quitte la fréquence, au revoir.